'His arrest is because of his own deeds...': Anna Hazare on Kejriwal's arrest

Social activist Anna Hazare on Friday said that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest in connection with a money laundering case linked to Delhi excise policy is “because of his own deeds”.

Speaking to ANI news agency in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar on Friday, Hazare said it’s hard to believe that a person who once used to raise voice against liquor was now rolling out liquor policies to launder money.

#WATCH | Ahmednagar, Maharashtra: On ED arresting Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Social activist Anna Hazare says, "I am very upset that Arvind Kejriwal, who used to work with me, raise his voice against liquor, is now making liquor policies. His arrest is because of his own deeds..." pic.twitter.com/aqeJEeecfM

— ANI (@ANI) March 22, 2024

“I am very upset that Arvind Kejriwal, who used to work with me, raise his voice against liquor, is now making liquor policies. His arrest is because of his own deeds…,” said Hazare.

Kejriwal had joined the Anna movement in 2011 against the then Congress government’s alleged corruption. He rode on to the fame and floated his own political party in 2012, and contested for the chief minister’s post.

Kejriwal was arrested on Thursday night following two hours of questioning by the Enforcement Directorate and was later taken to the agency’s headquarters where he spent the night.

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The arrest, the first of a sitting chief minister, came hours after the Delhi High Court refused to grant protection to the AAP national convenor from any coercive action by the agency.

The 55-year-old leader’s arrest, amid campaign for the Lok Sabha elections, drew angry reactions from his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The party said Kejriwal “will continue as the chief minister of Delhi. If need be, he will run the government from jail.”

The BJP though demanded that Kejriwal step down as chief minister on moral grounds.

Following his arrest, the AAP called a nationwide protest against his arrest. Delhi Cabinet ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj, who were leading a mega protest march at Delhi’s ITO on Friday, were detained along with other protesters for violating prohibitory orders.

The two ministers were pushed into a police bus as officials asked protesters to disperse in view of prohibitory orders under Section 144 imposed in the area.

With inputs from agencies